Tijs Truyens, 21 years old, Belgium. ESC Long term mushroom volunteer at IDC and Café Vert (september 2025 – may 2026).
My name is Tijs, I am 21 years old and I come from Belgium. I recently obtained my bachelor’s degree in social sciences. I also want to pursue a master’s degree later on. However, I have always had the idea of gaining some experience abroad. After my bachelor’s, I hesitated for a while between immediately starting my master’s or first joining a project abroad. When I was looking through the possible projects on the ESC website and came across this one, I decided to apply for it.
I think the projects through ESC are a great opportunity to contribute to something valuable. That was also my main motivation. I also wanted to learn French and gain more knowledge about sustainability and ecology, because I must honestly admit that I did not know too much about these topics. From the very beginning, I have felt good in this project. The IDC team is very supportive and takes into account everyone’s needs and wishes. The contact with the other volunteers is also very pleasant. Since you spend almost all of your time together, you quickly become a close-knit group. You work together, cook together, clean together. After just 10 days, I can already say that I will make lasting friendships through this project. It is also nice to get to know the cultures, habits, and languages of other countries. I have already learned a few new words in French, German, and Spanish, and my English has also improved.
During the first two weeks, I mainly helped prepare the new site in Gardie. We built the chicken coop, the shelter for the pig Tirelire, and moved the donkeys. I really enjoyed working outdoors. For me, it is a welcome change after three years of sitting behind a laptop at university. The days pass by very quickly, and I think the coming months will fly by as well. At first, it took a little time to get used to the new way of living. We try to keep our footprint as small as possible. This means that we do not waste food and reuse as much as possible. We also make sure to buy mainly local and seasonal products. It is a bit out of my comfort zone, but I see it as a challenge I am happy to take on.
Soon, I will be staying in Carcassonne and will collect coffee grounds from local cafés. I have already learned how to mix the coffee with mycelium, from which mushrooms will grow. Together with other volunteers and the IDC team, we will sell the mushrooms at the market. I am really looking forward to it. I think it is a good opportunity to get in touch with the locals and practice my social and French skills.
